BCSO continues search for shooter who wounded child

Published 10:58 am Tuesday, December 17, 2019

CHOCOWINITY — The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating a shooting that wounded a 5-year-old girl at her grandparents’ home in the Blounts Creek area over the weekend.

According to an incident report filed by the BCSO, the 911 call reporting the shooting came from a cell phone belonging to the child’s grandfather, Robert Moore, at around 2 p.m. Sunday. The report lists the victim as Tiana Moore.

Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Jim Vanlandingham says the child was shot in the hip. A press release from the BCSO issued Monday did not indicate whether the gunfire came from inside or outside of the residence, and Vanlandingham declined to comment on details of the investigation.

The incident report indicates deputies recovered a bullet and interviewed a number of witnesses at the scene. Vanlandingham said no arrests have been made as of Tuesday morning and that the suspect remains unknown.

According to the BCSO, Tiana was transported to Vidant Beaufort Hospital and then Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, where she was treated for a single gunshot wound. As of Monday afternoon, the latest report from the hospital listed her in stable condition, according to the BCSO release.

Members of the Blount’s Creek Fire Department, Chocowinity EMS, Beaufort County EMS and the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene at 12100 N.C. Highway 33 East, Chocowinity.